How to Validate a Website

How Does a Search Engine How Does a Search Engine Work?Work?

Click Movie To Start

Objectives Do You Trust the Information on Wikipedia Video Determined a validate website Visit the InterNIC Database Search for the website URL on the InterNIC who

is database Take note of the name of the registrar Perform a URL search How Does a Search Engine Work Boolean Searches

Key Terms

InterNICDatabase Internet Registrars URLLegitimate ICANN

Introduction

Websites are a dime a dozen these days.Websites are a dime a dozen these days.

Verify the authenticity of a websiteVerify the authenticity of a website

before you purchase a product orbefore you purchase a product or

research distance-learning education forresearch distance-learning education for

your next degree.your next degree.

Introduction

When you're performing daily tasks online andWhen you're performing daily tasks online and

browsing various websites, you may not alwaysbrowsing various websites, you may not always

think to investigate as to whether the website isthink to investigate as to whether the website is

legitimate. As long as you're just reading content, itlegitimate. As long as you're just reading content, it

may not be a huge issue, but before you make amay not be a huge issue, but before you make a

purchase with a website that you're not familiar with a website that you're not familiar

with, it's best to do a quick check. You can verifywith, it's best to do a quick check. You can verify

that a website is legitimate by checking the InterNICthat a website is legitimate by checking the InterNIC

network information website.network information website.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8yKNJCTck4

Key Terms Defined

InterNICInterNIC - - InterNIC is the "NetworkInterNIC is the "NetworkInformation Center" of the InternetInformation Center" of the Internet. It. Itmaintains records of online websites andmaintains records of online websites andallows individuals to file complaints allows individuals to file complaints againstagainstwebsitewebsite registrars (the companies that provide (the companies that provide services to website owners).services to website owners).

Database - Databases areDatabases are usuallyusually collections ofcollections ofjournal and magazine articles, dissertationsjournal and magazine articles, dissertations,,reviews, and abstracts. A database consists ofreviews, and abstracts. A database consists ofindividual records.individual records.

Key Terms DefinedInternetInternet - - The Internet lets you transferThe Internet lets you transferinformationinformation around the world around the world in secondsin seconds. . It is a globalIt is a globalcollection of networkscollection of networks, both big and small. These , both big and small. These networksnetworksconnect togetherconnect together in many different ways to form the singlein many different ways to form the singleentity that weentity that we know as the know as the InternetInternet. One of the greatest. One of the greatestthings about the Internet is things about the Internet is that that nobody really owns itnobody really owns it. .

Registrar - is an ICANN is an ICANN or or Internet CorporationInternet Corporation for forAssigned Names and Numbers accredited company whoAssigned Names and Numbers accredited company whohas the authority to register domain nameshas the authority to register domain names. . Registrars areRegistrars arecompetitive retailers of domain names like .info, .coop, competitive retailers of domain names like .info, .coop, .mobi, .name, .pro, .museums, and others..mobi, .name, .pro, .museums, and others.

Key Terms DefinedURL - Abbreviation of Abbreviation of UUniform niform RResource esource LLocatorocator(URL)(URL) it is it is the global address of documentsthe global address of documentsand other resources and other resources on the World Wide Webon the World Wide Web..The The first partfirst part of the of the URLURL is called a is called a protocolprotocolidentifier and it indicates what protocol to useidentifier and it indicates what protocol to use,,and and the second part is called a the second part is called a resource nameresource nameand it specifies the IP address or the domainand it specifies the IP address or the domainnamename where the resource is located. Examples: where the resource is located. Examples:ftp://www.pcwebopedia.com/stuff.exe andftp://www.pcwebopedia.com/stuff.exe andhttp://www.pcwebopedia.com/index.htmlhttp://www.pcwebopedia.com/index.html

Key Terms Defined

Legitimate - according to law; lawful: the property's according to law; lawful: the property's legitimate owner, legitimate owner, in accordance with established in accordance with established rules, principles, or standards rules, principles, or standards and in accordance and in accordance with the laws of reasoning.with the laws of reasoning.

How to Tell If a Website is Legitimate

Look for consistency in design. Your first line

of defense is a critique of the flow and

"readability" of the website. Ask yourself if

images and text are arranged in a way that is

easy to follow. Legitimate websites most often

do not look as if they have been hastily thrown

together. A website worth its weight will

employ established rules of design with text,

images and navigation.

How to Tell If a Website is Legitimate

Research websites that claim to be businessesbefore you perform transactions or provideinformation. The Better Business Bureau is agood place to start.

Be absolutely sure a website is trustworthy beforeyou enter any private information, includingpasswords. Hypertext transfer protocol secure(HTTPS) indicates a type of network securityprotocol. The "s" in "https" literally stands for"secure."

Boolean SearchesBoolean Searches

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMV7X3W_beg

Boolean searches - allow you to combine words and phrases using the words AND, OR, NOT and NEAR (otherwise known as Boolean operators) to limit, widen, or define your search. Most Internet search engines and Web directories default to these Boolean search parameters anyway, but a good Web searcher should know how to use basic Boolean operators.

Boolean SearchesBoolean Searches

How to do Boolean Searches

You have two choices: you can use the standard Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT, or NEAR, or you can use their math equivalents. It depends on you, the searcher, on which method you're more comfortable with.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vube-ZcJFk4

Boolean SearchesBoolean SearchesBoolean Search Operators

•The Boolean search operator AND is equal tothe "+" symbol. •The Boolean search operator NOT is equal to the "-“symbol.•The Boolean search operator OR is the default settingof any search engine; meaning, all search engines will return all the words you type in, automatically.•The Boolean search operator NEAR is equal to puttinga search query in quotes, i.e., “Sponge Bob Squarepants".You're essentially telling the search engine that you want all of these words, in this specific order, or this specific phrase.

Boolean SearchesBoolean SearchesMore Examples

•Using AND narrows a search by combining terms; it willretrieve documents that use both the search terms you specify, as in this example:

Portland AND Oregon Using OR broadens a search to include results that contain either of the words you type in. Example: Liberal OR Democrat

Using NOT will narrow a search by excluding certain search terms. Example: Oregon NOT travel

Using Boolean Advance SearchUsing Boolean Advance Search